SONEPAT, Sept 25 — The Haryana Government will construct old age homes in every village of the state.

Announcing this at a big rally held here to felicitate the Indian National Lok Dal patriarch, Mr Devi Lal, on his 87th birthday, the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, said the old age homes would have facilities even for the stay of the elderly.

The plan on old age homes, which was likely to cost hundreds of crores of rupees, had been conceived at the initiative of Mr Devi Lal who had in the past taken several innovative measures for the elderly. His birthday was celebrated today as “Vridh Samman Divas.”

Mr Devi Lal, who had to seek help in coming to the stage and spoke very briefly, said the changing social conditions had adversely affected the elderly and they had been rendered lonely. The proposed old age homes would serve as beacons of hope for them, he said. The ashrams would be visited by health mobile vans twice a week for regular check-up of the elderly.

Mr Chautala, who used the occasion to narrate his achievements in the past 14 months, declared that from the coming Gandhi Jayanti, the Haryana Government would embark on “sarkar aap ke dwar” programme. The Chief Minister said he would soon tour each of the 90 Assembly constituencies extensively to address the problems of the people.

Assuring his government’s resolve to better the lot of farmers, Mr Chautala said the paddy coming to the mandis would be procured by the government agencies.

He said cattle insurance scheme which till now covered milch cattle would cover ox also. He said more prizes had been instituted for cattle according to their milk yields. The Chief Minister said all sugar cooperatives in the state had cleared their payments to farmers. “Because of the government’s streamlining policies regarding agriculture, the grain production had increased by 7 per cent this year,” he said.

Mr Devi Lal was presented with his photo over a map of Haryana which was embedded with 87 silver coins. The veteran leader also released cassettes containing highlights about his life.

INLD activists donated blood equal in volume to twice the weight of Mr Devi Lal. A cattle fair exhibiting top breeds of the state evoked keen interest in the villagers who had come from different parts of the state.